德莱塞著的《嘉莉妹妹》描写了农村姑娘嘉莉来到大城市芝加哥寻找幸福，为摆脱贫困，出卖自己的贞操，先后与推销员和酒店经理同居，后又凭美貌与歌喉成为演员的故事。作家以嘉莉为代表，深刻揭露了美国资本主义制度对贫苦人民压榨的残酷性，和资产阶级生活方式对小资产阶级分子的腐蚀性。

德莱塞著的《嘉莉妹妹》曾被一些评论家认为文笔拙劣、形式粗俗，但也有人认为这部小说写得开诚坦白、直言不讳、充满生活激情。德莱塞就是这么一位对生活充满激情的作家，他不怕被别人看作是一个从下层社会挤进文学界的野蛮人，仍然一如既往地通过一系列现实人物的故事去揭示美国社会的残酷现实，正是这种通俗自然的写法，才使这部作品让人印象深刻，以至于流传后世，进入世界文学名著的宝库之中。

Chapter 1  The Magnet Attracting: A Waif Amid Forces

Chapter 2  What Poverty Threatened: of Granite and Brass

Chapter 3  We Question of Fortune: Four-Fifty A Week

Chapter 4  The Spendings of Fancy: Facts Answer with Sneers

Chapter 5  A Glittering Night Flower: The Use of A Name

Chapter 6  The Machine and the Maiden: A Knight of To-Day

Chapter 7  The Lure of the Material: Beauty Speaks for Itself

Chapter 8  Intimations by Winter: An Ambassador Summoned

Chapter 9  Convention's Own Tinder-Box: The Eye that is Green

Chapter 10 The Counsel of Winter: Fortune's Ambassador Calls

Chapter 11 The Persuasion of Fashion: Feeling Guardso'er its Own

Chapter 12 Of the Lamps of the Mansions: The Ambassador Plea

Chapter 13 His Credentials Accepted: A Babel of Tongues

Chapter 14 With Eyes and Not Seeing: One Influence Wanes

Chapter 15 The Irk of the Old Ties: The Magic of Youth

Chapter 16 A Witless Aladdin: the Gate to the World

Chapter 17 A Glimpse Through the Gateway: Hope Lightens the Eye

Chapter 18 Just over the Border: A Hail and Farewell

Chapter 19 An Hour in Elfland: A Clamor Half Heard

Chapter 20 The Lure of the Spirit: The Flesh in Pursuit

Chapter 21 The Lure of the Spirit: The Flesh in Pursuit

Chapter 22 The Blaze of the Tinder: Flesh Wars with the Flesh

Chapter 23 A Spirit in Travail: One Rung Put Behind

Chapter 24 Ashes of Tinder: A Face at the Window

Chapter 25 Ashes of Tinder: the Loosing of Stays

Chapter 26 He Ambassador Fallen: A Search for the Gate

Chapter 27 When Waters Engulf Us: We Reach for A Star

Chapter 28 A Pilgrim, An Outlaw: The Spirit Detained

Chapter 29 The Solace of Travel: The Boats of the Sea

Chapter 30 The Kingdom of Greatness: The Pilgrim Adream

Chapter 31 A Pet of Good Fortune: Broadway Flaunts its Joys

Chapter 32 The Feast of Belshazzar: A Seer to Translate

Chapter 33 Without the Walled City: The Slope of the Years

Chapter 34 The Grind of the Millstones: A Sample of Chaff

Chapter 35 The Passing of Effort: The Visage of Care

Chapter 36 A Grim Retrogression: The Phantom of Chance

Chapter 37 The Spirit Awakens: New Search for the Gate

Chapter 38 in Elf Land Disporting: The Grim World Without

Chapter 39 Of Lights and of Shadows: The Parting of Worlds

Chapter 40 A Public Dissension: A Final Appeal

Chapter 41 The Strike

Chapter 42 A Touch of Spring: The Empty Shell

Chapter 43 The World Turns Flatter: An Eye in the Dark

Chapter 44 And This Is Not Elfland: What Gold Will Not Buy

Chapter 45 Curious Shifts of the Poor

Chapter 46 Stirring Troubled Waters

Chapter 47 The Way of the Beaten: A Harp in the Wind